


One in the Crowd

by SpiritSoul



Series: Crescendo [5]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Angels, Angst, Attempted Seduction, Awkward Conversations, Blood, Blood Drinking, Characters Reading Fanfiction, Concerts, Cuddling, Elemental Magic, F/M, Familiars, First Meetings, Fluff, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Internal Conflict, Magic, Meet and Greets, Monsters, Nightmares, Past Lives, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Potions, References to Depression, Secrets, Self-Doubt, Smut, Song Lyrics, Swords, Violence, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 15:13:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritSoul/pseuds/SpiritSoul
Summary: All it takes is one chance encounter to change everything.





	1. Painful Memories

The screaming would not stop; it rang in Cadence’s ears and filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread. It seemed to be all around her in the pitch-black corridor she found herself in.

Panicked thoughts raced through her head. Where should she go? Who should she run to? Should she even run? No, it was too dark. She couldn’t even see more than five feet in front of her. Yet why was her mind begging her to get away?

She felt an urgency to escape.

Taking her chance, she dove into the inky blackness with no set destination. She didn’t know where to go, she only needed her legs to keep moving. Her footsteps echoed through the corridor as she ran, the sound of each stride serving as a reminder to keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.

The hall seemed endless, unchanging in its direction. She searched desperately for some sort of exit, but found none. Every way she turned she was only met with more darkness.

Something grabbed hold of her arm. She screamed as its cold embrace wound its way around her bicep like a snake and did her best to pull herself free as it grabbed hold of her other arm. Whatever it was, it did not let up. Before long, her legs were swinging wildly as she was effortlessly lifted up off the ground. She turned her head, but only saw the immeasurable darkness surrounding her.

“Somebody!” She desperately cried out for help, reaching a hand towards the vast abyss before her in the hopes that some savior would grab it. But no one came. 

She shrieked as the invisible bonds pulled her back. The wind roared in her ears as she was hauled through seemingly miles upon miles of unrelenting darkness. The young acolyte continued thrashing against her restraints, but every attempt to break free was only in vain. With tears now streaming down her face, she continued screaming for help.

Abruptly, the force that had been pulling her back ceased. As her feet slowly returned back to the ground, Cadence breathed a sigh of relief. But she quickly realized there still remained a problem: she could not move her arms. The limbs were stuck at ninety degree angles no matter how much she struggled to move them.

No...no, things couldn’t end like this! The tears were pouring furiously now as she sobbed, begging for someone to rescue her.

“Please…” Her voice came out soft and tired, wheezing from all the crying. “Please, somebody...”

And then, she heard it: footsteps, each one echoing quietly in the pitch black corridor at a slow pace. But the sound of them brought her no comfort, only a steadily increasing fear. Her heart pounded fiercely as she heard them coming closer before stopping right behind her.

She gasped as a hand roughly grabbed hold of her face and jerked her head back. Her eyes darted frantically about, scouring the darkness for any glimpse of the perpetrator. It took some time for her to adjust, but after a few seconds she finally noticed something out of the corner of her eye: large, glittering white feathers.

Something cold and metallic brushed against the flesh of her neck. Memories rushed back to her in an instant. She flinched, eyes wide as she suddenly made the connection. The screams...the burning village...the monsters...the massacre.

No, her mind screamed. No not again! Not again. Not again!

The blade of the dagger pressed more firmly against her throat. She could feel the jagged edge with each breath.

Not again!

Her perpetrator remained silent as she attempted to speak.

Not again! Her mind screamed the phrase over and over, commingling with the shrieks of Satan-knows how many victims.

“Gabriel-!”

He did not let her finish. The dagger broke the skin in one clean swipe. Her hands, now finally able to move, clawed at the gaping wound as she fell to her knees, her face frozen in terror, mouth agape. The blood poured in rivers of red, collecting beneath her. She could not stop it. Breathing was futile. Her hands continued clawing, desperate to cling to some fragment of the life now slipping from beneath her own fingertips.

She felt her body hit the floor. It felt too heavy to stand back up. Too heavy, too cold. It was cold; so cold. When had it gotten so cold? She shuddered, feeling the warmth being sapped even from the blood gushing over her hands; the hands that had caused her to commit similar atrocities without any second thoughts.  
She stared up into the endless darkness, once again finding herself alone. The screams had now reduced to a faint, far-off sounding chorus of whispers. Nothing fazed her anymore. Had she already closed her eyes?

No, that wasn’t possible, for she could suddenly start to make out shapes. Slowly, the darkness gave way, revealing more and more until the young acolyte finally found herself staring at the ceiling of the hotel room.  
Cadence blinked a few times, trying to get her vision to refocus, but everything remained blurry. For a moment she lay still, only to jolt with a start as she suddenly recalled everything she had witnessed. 

She gasped for air as her hands flew to her neck, praying that it had all in fact just been a dream. But she felt wetness there and frantically pulled her hands away, only to quickly realize what she’d touched hadn’t been blood. Her fingers shimmered with a clear liquid, and she soon became aware of the droplets of water streaming down her face. Tears. She hadn’t realize she had been crying.

Slowly, Cadence sat up, wiping the tears away with her pajama sleeve. This was the third night in which she’d had that nightmare in a row. No matter what she had tried to do, the ending was always the same: her dying in the exact same way she nearly had during her first life.

She looked over to her right, to where Papa was laying beside her, still sound asleep. She envied him. How come he got to rest so peacefully while she was plagued by horrific dreams?

With a sigh, she got up from the bed, being careful to not wake the dark pope. Silently, she crept over to the adjoining bathroom. The light flicked on automatically as she entered, and she closed the door quietly behind her before turning on the sink to let some cold water run. She then proceeded to splash some of the water on her face to wake herself up.

She stared at her reflection after drying herself off with a nearby towel. Her reflection gazed back solemnly. This had become a repeated pattern since the night of the very first ritual. She would return from the bar, or whatever area the others had decided to hang out at, and immediately seek isolation here to reflect on everything that had happened. And she would do it again in the middle of the night. She couldn’t help it. Even if she’d initially had a good time while there, her mind always brought her back to her flaws. If she’d noticed Papa talking with another beautiful woman, then she wasn’t pretty enough. If Alpha had compared her to one of her past selves, then she wasn’t interesting enough. And Satan forbid if she’d messed up during the ritual? Then she clearly wasn’t good enough to be onstage with the others.

Her hands clenched into fists as she recalled the ritual from the night before. She had screwed up the lyrics during Per Aspera, ultimately making a complete fool of herself in front of hundreds of fans. It was awful. She had to sit out for the rest of the first half of the show, nearly crying her eyes out. How was Papa not furious at her for that? He should've been!

No...No, he probably was upset with her. He was just choosing not to show it. He was probably second guessing his decision to bring her on tour.

And the fans… she had seen their reactions. Sure, some had cheered, but there were still others. She saw their frowns. She noticed how they didn't applaud when Papa tried to encourage them to. It was obvious. They didn't like her very much.

Closing her eyes, she shut the faucet off to let the water stop running before placing a hand over where Gabriel had slit her throat all those years ago. Even now, she could still feel the cold sting on her skin. 

‘...Why?’ She asked herself. Why had the devil even brought her back?

Sighing quietly, she exited the bathroom, the overhead light turning off a moment after she entered the bedroom. Papa didn’t seem to have move since she’d gotten up. A part of her was upset that she hadn’t woken him, but another told her it was for the better. Why would he even care? He would probably ask her to go back to Meliora the next morning. 

Maybe this was a sign she was better off as a Sister of Sin.

As she got herself back under the covers, she stared at the wall in front of her. Her mind seemed to be all over the place, and yet, at the same time, nowhere at all. The nightmare haunted her, even when she was awake, never quite leaving her alone. Just like her past.

She turned over to her side to face the bedside table. Her ritual dagger sat near the alarm clock, which currently read ‘2:17.’ The sight of the blade made her flinch. Not wanting to look at it, for fear the thought of it would cause the nightmare to occur again, she quickly turned away from it.

If only she didn’t have to live with these painful memories, from both years ago and the recent nights.


	2. Something Different

When Cadence woke up again, sunlight was already streaming through the curtains, illuminating the room. She didn’t know what time it was, but it didn’t seem to matter. She didn’t feel like getting up.

Her body felt heavy as she rolled onto her side, only to find that Emeritus’ part of the bed was now empty. The sound of running water accompanied by soft singing and the light being emitted under the bathroom door let her know where he currently was.

With a sigh, the young acolyte returned to resting on her back and stared up at the blank ceiling. Another day, another ritual. A part of her wasn’t looking forward to it. She didn’t want to face humiliation in front of the audience again. But as much as she didn’t want to move, she knew she had to get up eventually. Minutes passed before she finally sat up.

Cadence rubbed her eyes as she dragged her body out of bed, a part of her mind protesting against every step she took. She trudged over to the table and picked up her brush, turning to face the mirror as she began to run the bristles through her messy hair. Her reflection stared back at her with disgust. Why did she always have to look so ugly? 

She sighed, putting the brush down after she was finished. Oh well. At least the makeup would cover up some of her flaws. She considered putting it on now, but ultimately decided to put it on when the band arrived at the venue.

Still partially asleep, the young acolyte changed into some casual clothes then made her way over to the couch and sat down, waiting for Emeritus to get out of the shower. She didn’t like waking up without him next to her. It made her feel alone. Staring at the door, she listened to Papa’s voice as he sang softly. There were no words, just a short improvised melody, yet it still sounded beautiful. It made Cadence smile a little. She couldn’t help but recall all those times Papa held her in his arms and sang to her to keep her calm as she recovered from being beaten senseless by bullies. She wished he would do that more often nowadays.

Something on the small table in front of the couch soon drew her attention away from the song, however. It was a large device with a screen. She tried to rack her brain to remember what it was called. Computer, right? Why did they call it that? They didn’t have these back in Meliora. At least, not ones this small. The only place in Meliora that she knew had computers was the library, and the ones there were very large and bulky. Heavy too. This one was portable and could fit in a small bag Papa carried with him. Where did he get it from? How long had he had this?

Staring at the screen, Cadence noticed that there was a lot of words. Curious, she carefully picked up the small computer, placing it on her lap, and began to read through it, starting at the beginning of the next paragraph. Apparently, Papa hadn’t gotten very far with it yet.

\-- “‘Hey!’ She pulled herself away from his grip, so instead he closed the curtain of their bedroom window. Her sudden movement scared the cat, and he jumped to his freedom. Annoyed, Cadence brushed the white and brown hairs from her black dress.

Wait…

Wait.

Wait wait wait wait

WHAT?

Was this about...her?

Her eyes widened, then soon narrowed. She reread the paragraph again. That was her name alright, right there on the screen plain as day. Confused yet intrigued, she continued.

\-- “‘It’s been a long night.’ She spat at Papa, kicking off her shoes. ‘It’d be nice if you were a little more considerate-’”

She blinked. Papa was in this too? Okay, this clearly couldn’t have been just some coincidence. Someone had clearly written something about the two of them. But why?

\--“Papa now placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close to him. He had a comforting smile on his face, and it infuriated her, but she also felt the venom disappear from her mind. She let Papa place his forehead against hers. She felt how, automatically, her breathing became more controlled, matching his. She took in his cologne. Did a slight smile dance over her lips?”

The young acolyte shivered momentarily as she imagined the scenario in her head. Whoever this person was, they were really good at writing. Still, the question as to why they had written such a thing continued to plague her mind.

Cadence kept reading, finding herself strangely engrossed in the text despite the fact that they had written her a bit out-of-character. She hadn’t been so mean to others since the second lifetime when she had been Kerstin, yet that was nothing compared to when she had been Elizabeth.

\- - “‘Are you with me, now?’ Papa whispered. He smiled, because he could see that his voice gave her a rush of goosebumps along her neck. He licked his lips, and gathered her long hair in his hand. Then he kissed the cold skin of his lover. He could hear her exhale softly. Papa wiped all her hair over one shoulder, then spreading his fingers over both shoulders. He kissed her spine, dug his fingertips into her skin.

‘Are you mine?’ he licked her earlobe, running his hands down her arm. ‘Sinner girl?’”

 

Her face quickly grew hot. Oh...oh Belial. Cadence couldn’t help but fan herself with her hand as she read further.

She could almost hear his voice and feel the light touch of his gloved hands. The young acolyte nibbled her lower lip. Somehow, she was completely engrossed in this story. She kept going, line after line, each sentence leaving her lost in an imaginary fantasy...

“Snooping, darling?”

Cadence jumped in her seat as the voice reached her ears and quickly shut the computer, eyes wide as she was abruptly brought back to reality. She hadn’t heard Papa get out of the shower.

“N-no! I-” She abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence after turning her head to look at him. Her eyes widened even more as she realized the dark pope was wearing nothing but a white sleeveless shirt and extremely tight jeans. If her face could feel any hotter, then it certainly did at that moment as she stared, mouth partially open.

A smirk spread across Emeritus’ painted face as he reveled in her shocked expression. “Like what you see, alskling?” he asked, smoothing back his raven locks. 

Immediately, Cadence grabbed the closest pillow from off the couch and hid her face behind it. His attire was clearly not helping her current situation...

“Well?” Papa’s grin widened as he leaned a little closer over the armrest of the couch. He watched as she slowly peered at him from over the top of the pillow, and laughed as she nodded her head in response, blushing intensely. “I’m glad. Now scoot over. Papa needs some room.”

Cadence immediately obliged as she put the pillow down, doing her best to not drop the computer as she moved over. A smile slowly began to return to her face as Papa draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, but it was brief.

‘He’s just being nice,’ her mind told her. ‘You don’t look nearly as attractive as all those other women he’s talked to. He’ll probably give you up by the end of the tour in order to be with one of them.’

The young acolyte soon remembered the words she had read and quickly opened the computer back up. “Papa…” She turned the device so that he could see what was on the screen. “What in the world is this?”

Emeritus carefully took the device from her and skimmed the words for a few moments before raising his eyebrows, chuckling. “Well well, I was wondering where this story was going to go.” He then turned his head to look at her, gesturing a hand towards the screen. “Cara mia, this is what is known as fanfiction.”

Cadence blinked, the look in her lavender eyes clearly showing confusion. “Fan...fiction? I don’t get it.”

“Well…” Papa scrolled up to the top of the page. “A lot of our fans are very creative individuals, you see.” He clicked a few times, causing the screen to change into what appeared to be a long list of different kinds of stories. “They like to write stories about us. And sometimes they make art too.”

Cadence stared in awe at the long list. There was certainly a lot, mostly about Papa or one of the Ghouls. The one she had read moments ago seemed to be the only one about her so far.

A thought suddenly struck her and she turned to look at Papa, eyes wide with worry. “D-do they know?!” she asked. “About us? Our relationship?” 

“Yes.”

The young acolyte buried her face in her hands and groaned. Of course. Why else would the person have written such a thing? “I knew we were being too loud!”

Papa laughed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m joking! Cadence, they don’t actually know. It’s just fiction to them. Our fans like to let their imaginations run wild.” His smile widened as she lifted her head and met his eyes. “But we can subtly indulge them in their fantasies through our performances.”

The dark pope cocked his head curiously as he watched Cadence’s cheeks flush red. “What’s wrong?”

Cadence gave an awkward laugh. “It’s just...weird. They wrote about us. We were about to have sex.”

Emeritus could only smile at her words. “You’re saying that like we’ve never done it.” He laughed again, softer this time. “Really, Ghuleh, it’s no different than taking an erotic novel and replacing the names of the main characters with our own,” he declared, adding a wink when he was done speaking.

The young acolyte immediately hid her face again and turned away. “Don’t remind me!” she pleaded, laughing at the same time as she recalled that embarrassing night in her apartment back in Meliora when Emeritus had found the erotic novel she had written in. She soon sighed, shaking her head. “Why did I even do that?”

“If I had to guess…” Papa began gently rubbing her shoulder. “I would say that around that time your feelings for me from your previous lifetimes were slowly seeping into this one, and back then you had no idea.”

Cadence laughed again, quieter this time. “I did want you for many years…” she mumbled, speaking under her breath. “Romantically and sexually.”

“What?” Papa asked, leaning closer, having not caught what she’d said.

She turned her head to meet his eyes, and he gently tucked a few strands of her hair behind one ear as she gazed into the mismatched colors. Carefully, she moved the computer off his lap and onto the table before crawling over to him.

“...I’m just glad those dreams have finally become a reality,” she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around him.

The dark pope smiled back at her, caressing her face with the back of his hand. “Me too…” he whispered. Gently, he wove his fingers in her hair, closing his eyes as he pulled her closer. His lips caressed hers, and before long he was kissing her softly, rubbing her back in small circles. He held her against him, wanting the moment to last. A content sigh escaped past his lips as the kiss broke. “Ghuleh…”

Cadence forced a small smile as the nickname reached her ears. The kiss should’ve brought her immense joy, but it only seemed to make her chest ache. 

‘At least… this whole thing will be nice while it lasts…’ she thought to herself as she was slowly brought in for another kiss. ‘Before he goes and picks up some other girl.’

No sooner had the thought gone through her head than Papa abruptly stopped before her lips could touch his again. He appeared to have been startled by something. The dark pope blinked a few times, then gently placed his hands on the sides of her head. He brought her close, gently resting his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes. His breathing grew slow, and his face appeared as if he were attempting to concentrate on something. Cadence was at a loss for words. What was going on?

After what felt like an eternity, Papa finally pulled away slightly, brushing her temples with his thumbs before lowering his hands. A concerned expression now showed on his painted face as he gazed into her eyes.

“Ghuleh…” His voice was so soft it sounded like he would start tearing up soon. “...what’s wrong?”

Could he tell what she was thinking? The young acolyte attempted to force another smile, but found that she couldn’t.

“You’re very troubled by something. I can sense it.” He brought his hands up and gently rubbed her temples with his thumbs again. Leaning forward, he put his lips to her forehead and kissed her there for what felt like the longest time. “Please, tell me what the matter is.”

Cadence did not answer him. She lowered her head, staring at her hands. Would he really even care? He was ‘The One Lascivious.’ It was probably natural for him to flirt with many people at once while on tour, not just her. And all of them would probably be way more attractive than she’d ever be in this lifetime…

“Cadence, please. Whatever it is, don’t hide it.” Emeritus gently took one of her hands in his own, pleading with his eyes. “It pains me, knowing that you’re feeling like this.”

But she could only stare into his mismatched eyes in silence. What would she even tell him? ‘Hey, I’ve seen you flirting with other women after shows and I don’t really appreciate it.’? No. She didn’t want to sound possessive or jealous. That would be awful.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and slowly leaned forward so that her forehead rested against his.

“Please…” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him again. “Just help me get my mind off of it.”

Papa’s brow furrowed with worry, but he seemed to understand. His hands slid down to her back before he flipped her over so that he was now hovering over her. He gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face with the back of his hand, gazing into her lavender eyes. There seemed to be so much hurt in them, and as his lips once again touched hers he desperately wished he could just kiss that pain away, even if only for a moment.

Cadence leaned into his gentle touch as he caressed her through her clothes. She wanted to lose herself completely in this moment. To forget everything. To forget the recurring pain in her waking life and the nightmares that haunted her sleep. She wanted to get rid of it all and remain in a state of blissful euphoria for all time. She moaned into his mouth and clung to him tighter as his tongue slid along hers.

The sound of the chorus to Idolatrine startled them both. Papa hesitated before slowly pulling away. 

“Allvarligt? Just when it was getting good…” he muttered, reaching into his pocket to pull out his Testament. He quickly tapped the screen and put the small device to his ear. “Hello?”

Cadence sat up as Emeritus listened to whoever was speaking on the other end. She thought she recognized Special’s voice as she tried to catch bits of the conversation.

The dark pope’s eyes soon widened. “Already?” He glanced over at the clock for a second before nodding his head. “Alright. We’ll be right down.” He lowered his Testament and tapped the screen to end the call before standing up. “Come, cara. We’re going to be late. You have to get ready for the Meet & Greet.”

The young acolyte blinked, confused. “Me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fanfic excerpts were taken from a fanfic written by my amazing big sis Bearfeat. If you want to read the full thing, here's the link:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/16630667


	3. One

Cadence still couldn’t believe what was happening. “I’m really able to be present at these Meet & Greets now… This is crazy.”

Emeritus smiled at her. “Of course. I say it’s about time you were.” He took a moment to adjust the mitre on top of his head. “I’m sure many of the fans have been eager to meet you for some time now.”

The young acolyte glanced around the dark-colored tent the two of them found themselves in. The photographer was currently finishing setting up his camera. If she listened closely, Cadence could hear the faint chatter of a large crowd standing right outside the Ghouls’ tent, which was right outside theirs. She suddenly began feeling nervous. She hadn’t been able to get up close and personal with many fans, as a lot of them seemed to choose not to talk with her. Now she would have to. Her face slowly fell as she fiddled with the cape around her shoulders.

“...What if they don’t want to meet me?” she asked, lowering her head. She tugged at her gloves to ensure that the crimson blood alchemy symbols still clearly showed.

“Cadence.” Papa gently placed a gloved hand underneath her chin and tilted her head up so that her eyes could meet his. “Would they have paid all this money if they didn’t wish to see you?”

‘Yes,’ her mind whispered. ‘They would only want to meet you and the Ghouls. Just like the crowds after the rituals.’ But instead of saying that, the young acolyte merely shook her head to say no, knowing it was what Emeritus would’ve wanted her to say.

A smile spread across the dark pope’s face. “See? Now, this is a time to have fun, Ghuleh, so promise me you’ll try to, alright?” He patted her on the shoulder before placing a light kiss on her forehead. “Who knows? Someone might want to take a silly picture with you.”

“The first ones are being let through, Papa,” announced one of the workers standing outside the tent.

Emeritus nodded his head in acknowledgement before flashing another smile in Cadence’s direction. As the two of them got to their places in front of the camera, Cadence took a deep breath to calm herself as they waited for the first fans of the night to enter.

They didn’t have to wait long before a tall woman with fiery red hair entered holding what appeared to be one of their albums. Her face seemed to light up the instant she laid her eyes on Papa. Immediately, Cadence took notice of how much prettier and more mature she appeared with her makeup and many tattoos.

“Hi Papa!” The woman exclaimed, immense joy present on her face as she walked up to him.

Emeritus smiled at her as she came close. “Hello, my dear. So glad you could make it out here tonight.”

The woman seemed to blush at his words. “I’m Ava. It’s my second ritual. I'm so glad I'm seeing you guys again.”

“Ava. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Gently, the dark pope took hold of her hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it. He quickly noticed the grucifix tattoo there, as well as various others which painted her skin in vibrant colors. “My my, what gorgeous tattoos.”

“Thanks! I just got the grucifix one last week.”

Cadence clasped her hands behind her back, a hint of impatience present on her face as she waited for the two of them to stop talking. She hoped that this woman would give her a similar amount of attention once she noticed her.

“I'll be in the front row. Keep an eye out for me!” Ava gave Papa a wink and a smile before finally taking notice of Cadence. To the her surprise, the woman's smile grew even wider. “Cadence! My cousin desperately wanted to meet you today.”

The young acolyte's eyes widened slightly, and a smile began to appear on her face. “...Really?”

“Yes! She's new to Ghost. I showed her footage from the Rochester ritual and she thought you did amazing!”  
Her smile widened from the compliments. “Wow, t-thank you!”

“She unfortunately had something else going on tonight, but I promised I'd get this signed for her.” Ava glanced at the two of them with hopeful eyes as she offered them a marker, and revealed that the album she was holding was a copy of Meliora. “Would you?”

Papa took the marker from her first. “Of course!” He signed the album quickly before handing it over to Cadence so she could do the same. The young acolyte smiled wide as she finished signing and handed the album back to Ava. 

“Thank you both so much! She's going to LOVE this.” The woman quickly positioned herself between them, and soon the cameraman finished taking their photos. As she turned to leave, she looked back over her shoulder and exclaimed “Good luck tonight!”

Cadence smiled and waved at her before turning to look back at Emeritus, completely ecstatic. “Papa, oh my gosh!”

“See? What did I tell you?” he asked, grinning. “Of course they want to talk to you!”

*****

One by one, fan after fan went through the tent. By the time the line was at the last few people, Cadence was tired. She was having fun, although not as much as when they had first started. Things had gone as she had mostly expected them to: the fans would focus all their attention on Papa, then give her just a few kind words before asking for an autograph or specific kind of photo. Still, the young acolyte tried to not let it all bother her too much.

She smiled and waved as a father left the tent with his son, who currently had the biggest smile on his face. It was absolutely adorable.

“Well, you clearly seem to be enjoying yourself,” Papa remarked, smiling at her.

Cadence giggled. “You were right, Papa. I am having quite a lot of fun.”

At least what she said had been mostly true...

The dark pope placed a hand on her shoulder. “See, Ghuleh? I know what I'm talking about.”

Cadence giggled again. “Yes you do.”

The worker outside the tent poked his head in again. “Last one, Papa,” he announced.

Once again, Emeritus nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Kevin. Send them in.”

Kevin quickly nodded before turning to face the person on the other side of the tent. He motioned them forward, but whoever he was speaking to did not come forward. He motioned them towards the entrance a second time, and only then did the fan move. They peered their head around the entryway, and immediately their eyes found Cadence.

It was a young man, she noticed. Probably no more than twenty. He had chestnut brown hair that went down to his shoulders, and as he leaned in farther she saw he wore a plain, zipped-up leather jacket, slightly ripped jeans, and black shoes.

Emeritus smiled warmly at him and motioned him into the room. “It's alright, young man. Come, come in.”

The young man hesitated for a moment before shuffling into the room, clearly nervous. He seemed to carry himself as if something heavy currently weighed on his mind. As he came closer, Cadence took notice of his eyes, which were such a pale blue color that at first glance they almost could've been mistaken for white. He seemed completely oblivious to Papa's words as he walked up to Cadence, staring in amazement at her. Finally, after a brief silence, he spoke.

“It… it's really you.” The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a slight smile, and his eyes gave the impression that he might break down into tears at any second. “I can't believe it…”

Cadence gave him a calm smile, hoping that it would help him ease his nerves a bit. “Hi! You doing well?”

He nodded, then glanced at the two of them. “I-it's my first time seeing you guys perform.” Quickly, his gaze went back to Cadence, and he seemed to blush a little before averting his eyes. “Can I…” His voice became so quiet that Cadence didn’t hear the rest of his question.

“What?”

His pale blue eyes slowly met hers as he repeated himself in a timid voice. “...Can I hug you?”

“Of course!” The young acolyte opened her arms in encouragement. He flinched from the sudden movement and held his hands close to his body as if to defend himself from something. A few seconds passed before he lowered them, then he inched forward until he could wrap his arms around her. She carefully reciprocated, going slow so as to not startle him again. The longer she held him, the more he seemed to be at ease in her presence. She felt his chest slowly rise and fall as a content sigh escaped past his lips. 

The sound of the camera shutter made him jump in her arms, and both he and Cadence looked over. The cameraman grinned at them from behind the tripod before turning to look over at Papa and quickly gave the dark pope a thumbs up. Peering over the young man's shoulder, Cadence saw that Emeritus had moved out of the way so that it was only her and the fan remaining in the shot.

He quickly got himself untangled from Cadence's embrace and backed away, hiding his face as if he were embarrassed by what he had just done. The young acolyte quickly held up her hands to reassure him.

“Hey, hey, it's okay.” Cadence kept a smile on her face to let him know she was being truthful. 

The young man's eyes were wide like a deer caught in headlights. “N-no, this isn’t- I didn’t mean-” He abruptly stopped upon feeling Papa's hand on his shoulder.

“Everything's perfectly fine, young man. You did what you wanted. There's no reason to be ashamed of that.”

The young man turned his head to look up at him, trembling slightly. “...You sure?”

“Completely.”

Cadence soon gestured towards the camera with a gloved hand. “...Would you still like another one? You can take two photos if you want.”

The young man blinked, seemingly unsure of what to say. He glanced over at the photographer, who smiled and eagerly nodded his head. Taking a breath to calm down, the young man turned to look back at Cadence.

“...Okay.” A smile began to appear on his face again. “Just one more couldn't hurt.”

Both Cadence and Papa smiled at each other, pleased that they were able to convince him. The two of them returned to their spots in front of the camera, and the young man placed himself between them.

It wasn't until the camera clicked that Cadence realized that he was holding her hand.

“Th-thank you. Thank you!” The young man was suddenly ecstatic again as he glanced back and forth between Papa and Cadence. He hurried towards the exit, now with a little pep in his step. “I can't wait to see you guys perform!”

Cadence beamed as she waved back at him, lowering her arm as she watched him go. As he walked away, she noticed that there were two rather large, noticeable tears on the back of his jacket. 

The moment he was out of sight, she felt Papa nudge her with his elbow.

“Well well, well.” A smirk was now present on his painted face. “Looks like you've got an admirer.”

Cadence could only laugh as a faint blush spread across her face. “Papa!”

“What? I saw how he looked at you.” The dark pope raised an eyebrow at her yet continued to smile. “And how you looked at him.” His grin suddenly widened as an idea seemed to strike him, and he quickly lowered his voice so the cameraman wouldn’t overhear as he packed up his equipment. “Perhaps you should bring him backstage after the ritual.”

As she followed him out of the tent, the young acolyte’s smile vanished and she blinked, confused. Wasn’t getting together backstage their special thing? “Y-you’d... let me do that? Even though we’re…” 

“Well, since seeing you made him so happy just now, I think getting to spend some more time with you after the ritual would really make his night.” Emeritus turned his head to look at her as she caught up to him, and immediately took notice of her worried expression. “It doesn’t have to be for sex, Ghuleh. You two could just share a glass of wine and get to know each other more.” Smiling, he patted her on the shoulder. “You just do whatever you feel like, as long as it’s with his full consent. Alright?”

Cadence thought back to when she had been with the young man just a few minutes ago. Seeing him smile with joy in her presence made her feel extremely happy. A part of her wanted to see him experience more of that joy. She hadn’t had many fans react to seeing her in such a way before. All the others were just eager to get something signed by her and mainly talk with Papa the entire time.

‘Perhaps I should bring him backstage…’ she thought to herself.


	4. Ciriced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a giant term paper and then I had to study for finals. Fortunately both are done so I'm hoping to make a lot more progress during this break I have. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated.

“‘’Tis the night of the witch!’”

Cadence stood tall as the spotlights shone upon her, staring out into the large crowd. Amongst the glare of the stage lights and the noise of the Ghouls’ instruments, she watched as a good portion of the audience clapped and cheered upon seeing her. The young acolyte wanted to smile and wave at them to show her appreciation, but in the back of her mind she knew she had to stay in-character for the song and keep the stoic expression on her face.

As she descended the steps, her gaze went to those in the front row. To her dismay and annoyance, they all seemed to be completely focused on Papa as he sang, as usual. 

Her hands clenched into fists as anger began to cloud her mind. It wasn’t fair! Papa always got all the attention from the people in the front row. Did none of them notice her standing before them? Why was this happening at every show so far?

The young acolyte took a deep breath as the chorus steadily came to an end, mentally preparing herself for the start of Alpha’s solo. ‘Calm down. It’s not like every single fan here doesn’t like you,’ she told herself, recalling the compliments she had gotten during the Meet & Greet earlier. ‘Just do what you normally do.’

The moment the familiar notes reached her ears, she spun, waving her arms in various directions as if magic were being cast from her gloved hands. As they played, the Ghouls reacted as if they had been struck by these invisible projectiles, yet they never once accidentally struck a bad chord. Not even Mist, despite the fact that this was the female Ghoul’s first big tour.

However, when she had Water move away from the edge of the stage, something (or rather, someone) caught Cadence’s eye. She stopped.

The young man she had met during the Meet & Greet was standing in the front row, staring at her. 

That same look of awe from before was back on his face, as if the entire spectacle of the ritual had him locked in a complete trance. He didn’t sing and clap like the rest of the people around him. He just continued to gaze at Cadence, mesmerized, completely unfazed by the enthusiastic clamor of the rest of the crowd.

It seemed to take him a moment to realize that she was looking at him. A sheepish smile appeared on his face as he waved at her.

Cadence smiled back at him, but before she could get anywhere she suddenly felt Papa’s gloved hand on her throat. She hadn’t realized the solo had ended.

Her eyes widened as she felt the glove’s sharp gold nails lightly dig into her skin. In an instant, her thoughts went back to that fateful night back in Opus. Amongst the audience’s cheers she heard the shrill shrieking of monsters and the cries of those that had perished by their razor-sharp talons. The erratic drumbeat seemed to sync up with her rapidly-pounding heart. She could’ve sworn she felt the edge of Gabriel’s blade against her throat, the coldness of the chains around her wrists...

‘No...no, don’t think about it!’ The young acolyte stared up at the stage lights, trying her best to focus on them as tears suddenly began to well up in her eyes. With their harsh light and the ongoing song continuing to ring in her ears, the sound of screaming faded.

Cadence gasped for a breath as Papa cast her aside and she hit the ground, completely snapping her out of her dissociative state. One hand quickly went to her throat, just to be sure there was no blood running down her neck. She felt nothing but her own unharmed skin through the fabric of her gloves and soon breathed a sigh of relief. 

She looked over at the people in the front row again. The young man was still staring at her, but this time his joy seemed to have been replaced by a different expression. Worry seemed to dance across his face.

Still trembling slightly, Cadence stood, just in time for the three guitar Ghouls to surround her. Just like they’d done at previous rituals, they chased her back up the steps she’d descended upon her arrival.

“‘The moon shone bright above her trial…’”

Shutting her eyes, Cadence held out her arms, pretending to be bound. She feigned her struggle as Papa sang the next line, then screamed and threw her head back as she felt the heat of the pyrotechnic flames around her.

It was an act. Just an act. And yet her mind suddenly brought her back to the night she had fought Raphael, when Infestissunam had been burning. Trembling, she fell back to her knees as the flames died down, her gloved hands going to her eyes this time. There was no pain, no sensation of her skin being burned. 

This had become a common occurrence for the young acolyte since the nightmares had started. It seemed even the smallest instances would momentarily bring her back to these horrifying moments from her past.

As Cadence took hold of Papa's hand and stood back up, her gaze immediately went to the young fan in the front row again. His distress seemed to have increased, and when he realized she was looking at him he quickly averted his eyes. Cadence began to feel concerned. Was he okay? Why was he getting so upset?

But she couldn't look at him for too long. She knew she had a song coming up that she needed to sing.

***

Before Cadence knew it, the first act was complete and she was suddenly backstage getting ready to sing Cirice.

Fortunately, her time singing Per Aspera had gone by without a hitch this time. The young acolyte should’ve been proud of herself, but deep down she still felt disappointed. The cheers she got never seemed to be as much as the amount of applause Papa received when it was just him and the Ghouls onstage. It just didn’t make sense. What was she doing wrong?

She put her hood up with a sigh and walked out of the dressing room with her head down. Upon exiting, she realized that she had gotten ready quicker than Emeritus this time. But she did not wait for him, instead walking over to the place she had to wait backstage and sat down. 

The young acolyte stared at her gloved hands in silence, the guitars and excited murmur of the crowd doing little to distract her from the thoughts racing through her head. Most of the audience didn’t clap for her during rituals, people kept giving her disapproving looks as she sang, and after shows she was ignored in favor of the Ghouls or Papa. She wasn’t sure if she could take much more of this.

The hand resting on her shoulder came as a surprise. Lifting her head, Cadence saw that Emeritus was gazing at her. There was concern in his mismatched eyes, just like this morning.

In that moment, she wanted to tell him. She wanted to release every negative feeling bottled up inside her and let him know what had her feeling so down. But something held her back.

Gently, the dark pope wrapped his arms around her, resting one gloved hand on the back of her head. He brought her close, kissing her pale forehead once with such tenderness before placing his chin in the crook of her neck.

‘It pains me, knowing that you’re feeling like this’

His words from that morning repeated themselves in Cadence’s mind. She shut her eyes to hold back tears as she wrapped her arms around him. She didn’t want to hurt him this way, but she was upset with herself, constantly plagued by nightmares of her past, and worried that she was a mere afterthought in all of this. 

Wouldn’t telling him that hurt him more?

He seemed to hesitate before pulling away, placing another kiss on her forehead before stepping back. By now it was almost time for the first verse to begin, and Cadence watched as he hurried toward the stage. She listened as the crowd’s enthusiasm increased in volume. Why couldn’t they cheer like that for her?

Slowly, she rose back to her feet. A part of her didn’t feel like going up onstage anymore tonight, but then she remembered the fan from the Meet & Greet and how excited he had been to see her.

“At least I’ll have someone cheering for me…” she told herself as she ascended.

The young acolyte lowered her hood as the spotlights shone on her, and she immediately scanned the front row to find the young man. It wasn’t long before she spotted him. He was smiling again, applauding as he took notice of her. Seeing him so joyous made Cadence start to smile again as she brought the microphone close to sing.

“I know your soul is not tainted, even though you’ve been told so.”

She saw Emeritus glance in her direction, and a grin spread across his painted face upon seeing her smiling. Quickly, she hurried over to stand beside him near his mic stand, just as the chorus was about to start. 

“I can feel the thunder that’s breaking in your heart. I can see through the scars inside you.”

As the chorus came to an end, Cadence suddenly remembered something. After the second verse, Papa usually held the hand of someone in the front audience. The young acolyte soon got an idea. As the end of the verse drew closer, she slowly made her way towards the edge of the stage, moving closer to the young man with every few passing seconds. When the moment arrived, she gazed directly into his eyes, giving him her full attention.

“Can’t you see that you’re lost?”

She held out her hand. His icy blue eyes widened as he stared back, dumbfounded. He didn’t seem sure of what he wanted to do.

Realizing his uncertainty, Cadence’s smile softened, and she nodded her head to let him know it was okay.

“Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”

His hand trembled as he reached out to grab hers. A million thoughts seemed to race through his head as he gazed at her, seemingly in a trance. Cadence only continued to smile as she sang the chorus to him, holding his hand gently in an attempt to ease whatever seemed to be on his mind.

“I can feel the thunder that’s breaking in your heart. I can see through the scars inside you.”

His grip on her seemed to tighten slightly as the chorus ended. His eyes seemed to say he didn’t want her to leave. The look made Cadence hesitate before pulling away. Her gaze lingered on him as she returned to the center of the stage, and he continued to look back at her.

Maybe it was the way she could make him smile so easily. Maybe it was the way he acted around her during the Meet & Greet. Regardless, this young man definitely intrigued her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. Hope y'all liked it!
> 
> Tell me, are you guys liking this young fan? Because expect to see a lot more of him in the future. :)


	5. A Little Glass of Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything can be kept secret forever, especially after a glass of wine.

“I mean, if Papa can do it, it can’t be that hard, right?”

Cadence gave a nervous laugh as she stared at her own reflection in the dressing room mirror, talking to herself. By now the ritual had concluded. The small room was currently empty except for herself, with a couple empty wine glasses plus a full, unopened bottle of red wine resting on the table near the couch.

Taking a moment to readjust her mask for a third time, the young acolyte glanced towards the door. Earlier, she had requested one of the roadies to find the young man she'd Ciriced and bring him here. However, it had been a while since the ritual's conclusion, and a part of her was worried the fan may have either already left or didn’t want to be with her. But then again, he had been really eager during the Meet & Greet...

She looked around the dressing room with some unease. Did everything look okay? She slowly made her way around the room to check for anything that didn’t meet her liking. The young acolyte repositioned the couch pillows, wiped away any possible dust from flat surfaces, and slightly readjusted the wine glasses, ensuring that everything looked nice and presentable.

Without warning, there was a knock at the door. Cadence hurried to adjust her hair and straighten her clerical robes before heading over. She took a deep breath to calm herself before placing her hand on the door handle. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by the bearded roadie she had talked to earlier, as well as the young fan, who was currently attempting to hide himself behind the taller man.

The young acolyte thanked the roadie and watched him go before returning her attention to the fan. He was adjusting his leather jacket, clearly anxious. When he finally noticed her looking at him, he attempted to crack a smile, tucking a few strands of chestnut hair behind one ear.

“I… I thought I was in trouble for a bit, there,” he said, adding a nervous laugh at the end.

“Not at all.” Smiling, Cadence held the door open a little wider for him to enter. “Please, come in.”

A moment of hesitation passed before he obliged, shuffling forward with his head slightly tilted towards the ground. He slowly turned to look at Cadence as she quietly shut the door behind him, a hint of uncertainty reflected in his icy blue eyes.

“So, this was your first ritual, right?” Cadence clasped her hands behind her back as she turned to face the young man, continuing to smile softly. “What did you think?”

His face seemed to light up as his smile widened.

“It was… oh my god. I-I don’t usually go to these kinds of things, but it was amazing!” 

“I’m glad!” Pleased, Cadence moved over to the couch and sat down, motioning for the young man to do the same. “Please, sit. You seem a little tired.”

Again, there was a moment of hesitation before he did as she suggested. He kept his eyes lowered as he sat down next to her. Feeling a little nervous herself, Cadence picked up the bottle of wine from the table. “You want some?”

He seemed somewhat surprised at her question, but nodded. “Sure, but not too much. I gotta head back home later.”

The young acolyte looked over at him after opening the bottle, her brow furrowing slightly as she started pouring. “You came alone?”

His smile slowly disappeared as he nodded his head, going back to staring at his hands. “I have… older brothers. They don’t like it when I do things like this.”

Carefully, Cadence handed him the wine glass, which was now about half-full. “They don’t like it when you go to concerts?” She soon began pouring a glass for herself.

The young man drank his wine for a few seconds before sighing. “They don’t like it when I run away from them.” His voice was hushed, as if he were ashamed of himself. But after a moment of silence, he suddenly perked up again, turning to look at her. “B-but this time I had to get away! I... I had to see you.”

Cadence abruptly stopped pouring. She looked over at the young man, surprised and confused. “Me?” People usually came to see Papa, not her.

Her question appeared to make him flustered. “W-well, you’re… you’re amazing! You’re a fantastic singer, both of your costumes are really cool, and...” He attempted to smile again, another nervous laugh escaping him. “...and your presence onstage! W-with the fire, and all that. And the way you seem to make the Ghouls bend to your will with your arm motions.” He took another sip of his wine as he attempted to imitate the movements he'd seen her do with his free arm, waving it wildly in the air. A poor imitation at best, but it made Cadence giggle. “You’re just… incredible.”

Cadence smiled a little as she put the bottle down. “Thank you.” 

His brow furrowed as he noticed the hint of sadness in her tone. “What’s wrong?”

She took a sip from her own glass before a sigh left past her lips. “...You’re the only one who seems to think that way about me.”

The fan blinked, surprised by her words. “But...but that can't be right. There were all those other people at the Meet & Greet! And lots of folks were cheering for you tonight!”

“They all just want me to sign something then they go right back to giving Papa and the Ghouls all the attention.” Another sip of wine. “And I don't know if you could tell, but at every ritual so far I've seen people not cheering for me. They just give me dirty looks and whisper about me the entire time.” She paused, sighing. “I mean, I am happy for the others, but…” Her voice trailed off as she failed to find the words to say.

Silence fell between the two of them again. The young man gazed at her for a few moments before finishing what was left of his wine.

“W-well, I think you should get as much applause as Papa gets. You deserve it!”

“Do I?” Cadence swirled the remaining liquid in her glass.

“Yes!” He set his drink down on the table in front of them. “Every single cheer!”

Another brief silence followed the young man's answer. Still staring at her glass, Cadence took another sip before setting it down, having had enough wine for the moment. She turned to face the young man, her lavender eyes quickly meeting his icy blue ones. “...You mean it?” she asked, her voice hushed. 

He smiled. “Why would I lie?!” A laugh almost seemed to leave him. “Especially to someone like you.” Admiration seemed to form in his eyes as he gazed at her. “Believe me, if I could, I would go to every single ritual that’s left on this tour just to see you. You’re that amazing to me.” 

At his words, a smile finally reappeared on Cadence's face. Carefully, she moved a little closer, and before long she wrapped her arms around the young man, his shoulder-length brown hair tickling her cheek as she rested her chin on his shoulder. “Thank you…” she whispered.

The action took the fan completely by surprise, and he tensed up momentarily. His breath hitched in his chest. “Y-you're beautiful!” he blurted out, eyes wide. 

“Thank you.” Cadence held him gently as she repeated the words. She could hear his heart pounding. “It really means a lot to me.”

The young man smiled, eventually beginning to relax in her embrace. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Cadence, sighing against her. His embrace was tight, like when he’d momentarily refused to let go of her hand during Cirice.

“I'm just glad that you're still alive,” he whispered.

Cadence's eyes shot open and she abruptly pulled away. “What?”

The young man's smile vanished. His eyes went wide as sheer panic spread across his face.

“I, uh, it's not what, uh…” His eyes darted frantically about the room until they finally found the door he had entered. In the blink of an eye, he shot up from the couch and ran towards the exit.

“H-hey!” Cadence quickly rose to her feet, but no sooner had she taken a step forward than the young man fled out the door.

Glad that she was still alive? What was that all about? What did he know? She had to find out.

She took off after him, a million questions at the forefront of her mind. 

Down the hall she ran, past the stage entrance and many rows of doors into the now empty gathering area of the performance center. She glanced around to see where he went, only to watch as he rounded the small bar. Cadence quickly pursued down yet another dimly-lit hallway. He looked over his shoulder, and upon seeing Cadence following him he frantically tried to run faster, rounding another corner. 

He was gaining distance. Exhaustion was starting to catch up with her, and these robes did not help make running any easier. But she couldn’t lose him, not when she had all these questions.

An idea popped into Cadence’s mind, and she took her chance. Still running, she placed two fingers on the back of her neck, feeling for where her sigil was. 

“Liam!”

Almost immediately, a small cloud of black smoke appeared in front of her. The young acolyte quickly held out her arms as it materialized into the calico munchkin kitten she knew. The tiny cat groggily opened his eyes as he looked up at her.

“...Cadence? What’s going on?”

Cadence held her familiar close, keeping her eyes locked on the young man running away from her. “Help me catch up to him!” she commanded.

“On it!” In the blink of an eye, Liam transformed back into a black cloud of smoke, enveloping Cadence in the thick, dense haze as she ran. Before long, she could no longer see the young man in front of her as he reached the closed exit door at the end of the corridor.

She felt her feet leave the ground, and in a second she shot forward at an incredibly fast speed. The air rushed in her ears for no more than a few seconds before the dark clouds finally disappeared, allowing her to see again. She grabbed hold of the young man as he forced the heavy door open, tackling him as he made it outside. She gritted her teeth as the young man cried out in alarm and they hit the ground. The young acolyte held onto him tightly as he attempted to fight his way out of her grasp.

“Please! I just want to-” Cadence was unable to finish her sentence before the young man untangled himself from her arms and kicked her away, sending her sprawling back onto the ground. 

She groaned, clutching her stomach as she got back onto her hands and knees. The taste on iron slowly began to seep into her mouth, making the edges of her irises slowly start to glow a faint reddish hue. She quickly spit it out and wiped the corner of her lips with the back of her hand, revealing a smudge of red on her wrist. She felt a stinging pain on the side of her face and quickly realized that there was now a small, bleeding gash on her cheek. The small stream of red continued to trickle down to her mouth, staining her lips a deep crimson.

Her body seemed to shake as she stood, attempting to fight against the effects of her own blood. Her eyes continued to flicker with red as she stared the young man down. He backed away from her with tears in his frightened eyes as she stepped towards him, his soft whimpers and frantic breathing being the only sounds which Cadence could hear. The sound of them seemed to elate her, making her eyes glow a brighter red until their original lavender hue was nearly gone. The young man was trembling, now. She wanted more. Eyes boring deep into his, she reached down and unsheathed her ritual knife. The young man held up his arms to shield himself, shutting his eyes tightly. 

“PLEASE, MISTRESS, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I BEG YOU!”

His desperate cry managed to reach the last sane part of Cadence's mind. She stop in her tracks, still holding the blade high, a part of her still wishing to fuel her bloodlust. Slowly, however, the red glow around her eyes faded. Her body trembled as she regained control of herself, and her eyes went wide as memories came flooding back to her. Memories of her Opus lifetime.

Only one devout servant had ever referred to her as “Mistress.”

She dropped the knife, noticing the young man flinch as it clattered to the ground. She watched him gaze up at her, quivering with tears streaming down his young, pale face. All of a sudden, those icy blue eyes of his seemed so familiar…

And then, a name came to her. She uttered it in a voice barely above a whisper, shock and fear clearly present in her tone. 

“...Gabriel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil laughter* Surprise!!!!


	6. Rescued

The angel and the former countess could only stare at each other. Their bodies were frozen from shock, neither one of them daring to move for what felt like an eternity. 

Cadence's mind was racing. This didn't make sense. The young man had been so nice to her, so genuinely kind. How could he possibly be Gabriel, the one who had killed her? It just didn't add up; and yet, Cadence could now finally recognize those icy blue eyes that were fixated on her.

She took a step back, her body beginning to tremble.

“...N-no, you-...you can't-...this doesn't-” Cadence couldn't finish her thoughts. Her thoughts were frantic and chaotic, causing her mind to once again become filled with the memories of that horrific night in Opus.

Gabriel only continued to watch her, not daring to move from his spot on the ground. As the seconds ticked by, the tears ceased streaming down his face. He gazed at her, slowly taking a breath as if to calm himself.

“Mistress...”

Cadence flinched upon hearing him address her by her old title again, her breath hitching audibly. She held her arms close to her chest as if to defend herself, clutching the fabric of her clerical outfit. Her eyes glanced down towards her dagger, still lying on the ground.

Slowly, Gabriel rose to his feet. As he stood, Cadence watched as a pair of large, brilliant white wings sprouted from his back. Suddenly, those tears Cadence had seen on the back of his leather jacket earlier made more sense. In the moonlight, each feather seemed to shimmer as if they had been sprinkled with glitter. At the sight of the wings, she suddenly recalled the repeated nightmares she had been having. If Gabriel was here, standing before her, then did that mean...

He took another small step towards her. “I-”

“Stay away!” she screamed, terror filling her voice as she grabbed her dagger. The young acolyte pointed the bladed end at him, but could not hold it still for her hands were continuing to shake. 

Immediately, the angel froze again. He stared at the knife for a few seconds before finally returning his gaze to Cadence. The same distressed, worried expression that she had repeatedly noticed during the ritual was back on his face, but it did nothing to ease the girl’s mind. The seconds ticked by, but the angel drew no weapon.

Her body quivering, Cadence cried out as her legs abruptly gave out from under her, dropping her weapon as she hit the ground. Shutting her eyes, she covered her head with her arms, curling up into a ball as she began to sob, begging over and over.

“Stay away… Stay away…!”

The memories were rushing through her head now. They overwhelmed her. At one point Cadence dared to open her eyes again, and through the tears which blurred her vision she could barely make out the image of Gabriel standing over her. As he came more into focus, she suddenly realized that the angel was now holding his own dagger. Her fear increased tenfold at the sight of the blade and she began to scream even more, shutting her eyes again, her entire body still trembling.

“Please don’t kill me again!”

She couldn’t forget the sounds. People were dying, the kingdom was being destroyed, and monsters, both winged and not, were running rampant. She could still hear the shrieks of the griffins, even now. It was too much. Too much. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her hands clawed at her face, grabbing fistfuls of her own brunette hair. She suddenly couldn’t breathe. No matter how much she gasped for air, she just couldn’t get enough oxygen into her lungs.

Somewhere, someone screamed. She did not know who it belonged to.

She covered herself even more, not wanting to see what was happening. The monsters continued their screeching, nearly drowning out her own cries. Make it stop… Make it stop… Make it stop…!

“It’s okay…”

A familiar soft voice soon broke through the chaos in her mind, causing her shouting to stop. 

“It’s okay. We got you, Cadence. It’s alright.”

Slowly, the young acolyte cracked her eyes open. Finding that she could finally breathe easier again, Cadence blinked away her tears until the blurry shapes within her vision finally became clear again. Upon realizing who was now kneeling beside her, she couldn’t bring herself to smile despite the immense relief she felt. When she spoke, her voice was hushed, exhausted from the crying and screaming.

“...Earth? ...Air?”

Carefully, the tall Ghoul picked Cadence up in his arms. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’ll help you back to the bus.”

Cadence gazed at the faces of her bandmates, immense relief washing over her. As the three of them started to walk away from the scene, with their familiars beside them, she glanced over Air’s shoulder. Gabriel was gone now, with only a few white and black feathers remaining where he had once stood.


	7. Pierce the Sky

It was quiet on the bus, which made Cadence glad to finally get some peace again. Her eyes were closed in relaxation as she sat on the couch, running her fingers through Liam’s soft fur as he lay purring contently in her lap. It felt good to be back in a familiar setting. She finally felt safe again.

“You feeling better?”

The young acolyte opened her eyes to find Earth sitting across from her, giving a happy Dahlia light scratches behind her ears. A small smile began to curl Cadence’s lips.

“A little bit.” She adjusted her position slightly, but despite the movement Liam’s sleep remained undisturbed.

Air soon walked over to her, holding a freshly made cup of tea. He carefully held the steaming drink out to the girl.

“Careful, it’s still hot.”

Cadence’s smile widened a little more as she thanked the keyboardist Ghoul, slowly taking to cup from him with two hands. Holding the drink close, she closed her eyes again and took a moment to inhale the tea’s slightly sweet scent, immediately feeling herself warm up. She then glanced at the faces of her fellow bandmates, once again feeling relief that they had gotten to her in time. The thought soon caused a question to pop into her head. “So… how did you guys find me?”

Earth looked down as Liam perked his head up, and soon gestured towards the tiny munchkin. “Liam brought us to you.”

“Really?” Cadence looked down at her familiar and met his bright, blue eyes.

“I was worried.” The calico kitten snuggled a little closer to her. “You started screaming and crying and I just wanted to help somehow.”

Smiling, Cadence reached down with one hand and began to gently pet Liam’s head again. “Aww, thanks buddy.”

She blew on her drink for a couple seconds, and was about to take her first sip when a loud thud coming from outside caused her to stop. The three musicians and their familiars all went still, unsure of what they had just heard.

“W-what was that?” Cadence asked, her eyes beginning to go wide. She cautiously placed her cup of tea on the table beside the couch.

Earth and Air both turned to look at each other. Concern was present on both their faces, although the taller Ghoul appeared to be more composed. He glanced over at the window behind Cadence’s head, and tensed up a little upon noticing a large dark shape fly past the glass in the blink of an eye. Without warning, he stood up.

“I’ll go see what it is.” Turning towards the door, Air grabbed his Ghoul mask from off the table and put it on before motioning for Azrael to follow him. The silver maine coon immediately obeyed, and the two of them soon exited the bus, leaving Earth and Cadence alone with their familiars.

Immediately, Cadence began to feel incredibly wary. She held Liam a little tighter as she glanced out the window behind her repeatedly, trying to see if she could spot what Air had noticed earlier.

Earth immediately took notice of her uneasiness and reached over, placing a hand on top of her’s. “It’s going to be okay.”

The young acolyte met the short Ghoul’s eyes, taking a shaky breath. “But what if-”

Her question was abruptly cut off by a loud, animalistic screeching coming from outside. Both musicians went still again. The noise brought more terror into Cadence’s mind. She recognized that sound…

The doors of the bus suddenly flew open and Air came rushing back in. His eyes were wide as he shut the entryway behind him and turned to face Earth and Cadence. It took them a moment to realize that the Ghoul’s silver bow, Ventus, was currently in his hand.

“Griffins…” he panted, clearly out of breath. “Fucking griffins.”

Dahlia leapt off Earth’s lap as the drummer Ghoul stood. “What?!”

Without warning, something landed on top of the roof of the bus, causing the vehicle to shake. All three musicians momentarily lost their balance, desperately grabbing for anything within their reach to stay steady. After a few seconds, everything went still again, but the brief tranquility immediately became replaced by yet another animalistic screech, one much louder than the last. 

Cadence shut her eyes, trembling furiously as she clamped her hands over her ears. It was so loud. Before she knew it, she was seated back down, whimpering loudly as her head began pounding and the memories of the Opus attack once again came rushing back.

Earth and Air once again shot concerned glances at each other upon noticing the terror once again taking over Cadence.

“I’ll go get my weapon ready. You help Cadence calm down,” Earth stated. He quickly started off for the back of the bus. “C’mon, Dahlia!”

Air watched as the drummer Ghoul and his familiar ran off before returning his attention back to Cadence. He slowly knelt down in front of the girl. Her lavender eyes were frantic as she lowered her hands and met his gaze.

“A-Air…” Her hushed voice made it sound like she would start crying again, but she had run out of tears by now. “I don’t… I can’t do this…” How could she? Even with the training she had received, she hadn’t fought an actual monster since the second era. And even then…

She flinched as one of the griffins emitted another shriek. “I-I can’t… stop remembering that night…”

The Ghoul immediately knew what Cadence was talking about. With a sigh, he lowered his head slightly and gently placed a hand over hers.

“It’s okay,” he said, speaking calmly. “Sometimes I can’t forget either.” After a moment, the Ghoul lifted his gaze to meet her eyes again. “But right now we need you.”

Cadence cast a worried glance out the window behind her, watching a massive griffin circling high overhead. “But…”

“Don’t worry. Those memories won’t be a problem in a moment.” Air turned to look over his shoulder and met Azrael’s eyes. He nodded once, and in the blink of an eye the cat transformed into a cloud of black smoke. 

Cadence flinched upon initially realizing the smoke cloud was coming towards her, but before she could do anything it went through her body in a split second. Immediately, her headache vanished, and a smile spread across her lips as a sense of tranquility seemed to wash over her. Casting another glance over her shoulder, the young acolyte saw that Azrael had transformed back into a cat and was now seated not too far from her.

“All familiars have some sort of ability associated with them,” Air explained, rising to his feet. “Annali can put a person to sleep, and Azrael here can calm their emotions.” He reached a hand out and helped Cadence stand up. “It’s only temporary, but it should last long enough to help us defeat these things.”

Cadence nodded once understandingly. Turning around, she reached up and opened the overhead cabinet above her, grabbing her sheathed dagger from the compartment. After attaching the weapon to her belt, she once again turned to face Air, quickly realizing that Earth and Dahlia had rejoined them. The drummer Ghoul was currently holding something in his fist, but she couldn’t tell what it was. After bending down to let Liam hop onto her shoulder, Cadence grabbed the handle of her knife with one hand and met the Ghouls’ eyes.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

The two of them nodded in agreement before running out the bus doors. Another griffin screech pierced the air as they got out into the open, but this time it failed to faze Cadence as she followed her bandmates, their familiars close beside them. 

As Air started to draw another arrow, the young acolyte turned to see one of the monsters flying towards her direction. The griffin was as big as their tour bus, if not larger. Quickly, she unsheathed her dagger as Liam got to the ground, placing the blade at her palm and slicing downward. She was more used to the pain now, and only clenched her teeth a little as her now bloody hand closed into a fist. She then recalled the weapon-summoning phrase, and began to mumble it under her breath.

“Qui voc-”

But she soon realized she had misjudged just how fast the giant griffin was flying towards her. She flinched as she watched its sharp front talons raise and attempted to back away as quick as she could.

“Q-qui vocat!”

In a flash, Sanguineum manifested itself in her bloody palm. A slight sense of relief at the familiar feeling of the sword’s hilt, and she quickly grasped it with both hands, pointing the blade at the monster. But just as she prepared her sword to strike a blow, she felt the griffin grab hold of her arm with one of its talons. In a momentary flash of panic, the young acolyte struggled in the monster’s grasp as she felt the claws dig into her skin, leaving behind a sharp stinging pain. Gritting her teeth to suppress her cry, Cadence raised Sanguineum and plunged the blade into the griffin as deep as she could.

“Liam!” The young acolyte called out for her familiar as she felt herself starting to be lifted off the ground, attempting to be heard over the loud screech of pain the monster above her emitted.

But before the calico kitten could reach her, the young acolyte heard a familiar voice yell. She looked up and watched as Earth descended from midair, holding Dahlia in one hand and a silver and bronze bladed weapon in the other. The Ghoul plunged the weapon into the griffin’s back as he landed on it, causing the monster to screech once again in agony as it writhed.

Taking her chance, Cadence pulled Sanguineum out of the previous wound she’d inflicted and stabbed again, hard as she could. The griffin struggled to stay airborne, and as Earth slashed one of the black wings it fell only a short distance to the ground, releasing Cadence from its grasp before hitting the pavement hard.

Panting for breath, the young acolyte leaned on her sword as she clutched her still bleeding wound tightly, feeling the skin slowly begin to heal itself. She cursed herself under her breath. How could she have made such a rookie mistake already?! At the same time, however, relief washed over her.

“You okay?”

Cadence turned her head as Earth slid off the griffin’s back, landing beside her. As he put Dahlia back down, the girl finally noticed that the bladed weapon he’d been using was a silver and bronze double bladed axe. Tiny, dark red jewels decorated the end of the hilt.

“Yeah, you?” she panted.

The drummer Ghoul did not get a chance to respond. Before Earth could even get a word out of his mouth, the giant griffin began to stir. He held an arm out in front of Cadence to protect her as the two of them backed away, weapons raised again as the creature turned its massive head to look at them. Slowly, it began to rise, only for its body to tense up as a few arrows became lodged in the side of its neck. Cadence turned her head to find Air standing some distance away from the griffin, bow raised. 

The taller Ghoul nodded once upon meeting her eyes before returning his attention to the monster before him. Now the griffin turned its head to face him, its red eyes glowing brightly as it towered over him. The avian creature screeched loudly, but despite the noise Air remained unfazed by it, even when it seemed prepared to lunge at him.

Noticing the creature’s movements, Earth immediately knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. Without warning, large black vines sprouted through the pavement and wrapped themselves around the griffin’s wings. The creature attempted to fight against them, but the Ghoul’s powers managed to hold it back. Earth then turned to look at her. “Catch your breath for a minute, Cadence. Air and I got this one.”

Cadence nodded but winced again as she watched, her injury still causing her pain. Gripping the hilt of her sword tighter, she moved her other hand slightly only to find that the bloody gashes on her arm still hadn’t completely healed. Her eyes widened. Small wounds like these usually healed up very quickly. Why was her healing ability suddenly taking so long? Fear began to creep back into her mind as the calming effect Azrael had placed on her earlier slowly started wearing off. 

Keeping one hand on the ground, Earth picked up his axe and turned his head to look at Dahlia. Upon meeting his familiar’s bright green eyes, the tabby kitten’s ears perked up with excitement before she transformed into a cloud of black smoke in the blink of an eye and floated over, quickly enveloping the small Ghoul. Cadence watched as the smoke cloud grew in size and shot over towards the griffin at an alarming speed. Turning her head, the young acolyte realized that Air was now gone as well, a similar cloud of black smoke leaving the spot where he’d once stood.

The two black clouds moved towards each other, remaining in midair as they came closer and closer to the bound griffin. They were moving so fast that had Cadence blinked, she surely would've missed what happened next.

Still flying forward in midair, the two clouds formed back into the two Ghouls Cadence knew. But something had changed. While Earth was still holding his axe, Air was no longer holding his bow Ventus. Instead, he now held two curved, intricate silver blades.

The force of being dispelled for their smoke clouds continued to propel the Ghouls forward. With great speed, they sliced at the griffin’s sides, leaving deep gashes in the mass of black feathers. It shrieked with pain, continuing to fight against the vines that held it down, but soon stopped. It’s massive body went limp, and as Earth and Air both landed safely on their feet the monster fell forward and dissolved into particles of dust. In the end, no trace of its presence was left behind.

But before any moment of celebration could pass, Cadence looked up, immediately spotting two more griffins heading in her bandmates’ direction. She quickly returned her focus to the Ghouls. “Air! Incoming!”

He turned to look behind him, immediately spotting what Cadence had noticed. Quickly, he took the two blades he was holding and attached them together at the hilts. In a flash of blue sparks, the young acolyte watched as the blades connected to reform Ventus’ familiar bow form. An arrow materialized out of thin air as he drew the string back, but the Ghoul seemed to pause for only a second. As he narrowed his eyes while readying his aim, the arrow he'd drawn seemed to faintly glow a golden color.

The two griffins overhead had barely begun their descent before he fired. The arrow shot forward towards the avian targets, exploding on impact and sending waves of lightning shocks across the creatures’ bodies. Thunder rumbled loudly and the lightning crackled as the griffins shrieked and contorted from the electric shocks. By the time the bolts dissipated, the monsters dropped limply, their bodies dissolving into dust before they could hit the ground.

“One more left…” the Ghoul said to himself, drawing another arrow out of thin air.

Cadence rose to her feet and turned, watching as the final griffin landed some distance away. As Earth ran past her with Dahlia by his side, she looked down at the blood from her wound which stained her fingers. As she gazed at the crimson liquid, a voice in the back of her mind told her to consume it, but she quickly shook the thought out of her head and followed after Earth, sword raised. 

Cadence swung at the front leg, leaving a gash but not one deep enough to cause substantial damage. The griffin swiped at her with its talons, but she dodged the attack just in time to see Earth appear overhead from Dahlia's cloud of black smoke, intending on replicating one of his previous attacks. However, Cadence watched in horror as the griffin raised its incredibly large wings. One blow from the mass of feathers was all it took to knock the Ghoul out of the air. 

“Earth!” Cadence rushed over to her fallen bandmate as he hit the ground hard and knelt down beside him. Her sword vanished as she helped Dahlia out of the Ghoul’s grasp before holding Earth in her arms. He had hit the ground so hard that some of the pavement underneath him was now cracked. “Are you okay?!”

The drummer Ghoul coughed, squeezing his eyes shut. “Lucifer, fuck that hurt,” he groaned.

“Can you get up?” The young acolyte cast Dahlia a worried glance. The tabby kitten appeared to be trying to remain confident despite the current situation. Even with Earth’s super strength and endurance, he had still taken a very hard hit.

“I…” The Ghoul began to move a little as he attempted to answer Cadence’s question, but soon winced from the pain and stopped himself. “I don’t know...” He rested his forehead close to Cadence’s shoulder.

Immediately, Dahlia nuzzled Earth’s hand. “Earth, it’s not nap time!” she stated. “You gotta get back out there!”

“She’s right.” Cadence looked over towards the griffin and watched as Air continued firing off more arrows, narrowly avoiding being skewered by the monster’s sharp beak. “Air and I need you.”

The Ghoul only remained silent. As she gazed down at him, wondering what she should do to help, Cadence glanced momentarily at her palm. It was still covered in a bit of her blood. In that moment, an idea struck her. Quickly, she unsheathed her dagger and sliced the blade along her palm, reopening the wound.

Of course! She used to do this all the time in her previous life. Why hadn’t she thought to do this sooner?

Earth’s eyes cracked open as Cadence tilted his mask up with her unharmed hand, exposing the lower half of his face. “What…”

“You’re going to be alright.” Cadence’s tone was insistent as she held out her bleeding hand.

It took the Ghoul a moment to realize what she wanted him to do. His eyes darted back and forth between her face and the blood trickling down her skin. He seemed hesitant as he stared up at her, lips slightly parted.

Silent and determined, Cadence helped Earth sit up a little better and brought her bleeding palm near his lips. He gently took hold of her wrist and, with another brief moment of hesitation, closed his eyes and began to drink the blood straight from her wound, suckling gently.

The young acolyte gritted her teeth as she felt some of her strength flow into Earth with every ounce of blood he drank. Her body trembled a little as his grip on her wrist seemed to tighten. With every second that passed, he sucked the blood out harder. Pretty soon he was consuming it almost greedily, as if he couldn’t get enough. “E-Earth…”

Without warning, the Ghoul’s eyes snapped open and he threw his head back, gasping for breath as his irises suddenly glowed bright red. As his chest rose and fell, his open mouth flashed into a wicked grin. He began to laugh, and soon bolted upright. He snatched his axe off the ground as he stood.

“Let me at ‘em!” he shouted, malice lacing his tone.  
He dashed forward, deflecting the griffin’s sharp beak with one swing, thereby protecting Air. With the monster stunned, the drummer Ghoul took a bold chance and jumped up, grabbing a fistful of black and white feathers on the griffin’s neck.

Air’s eyes widened upon realizing how reckless his fellow bandmate was being. “Earth!”

The smaller Ghoul did not acknowledge him. Holding on, he raised his axe and brought it down directly onto one of the griffin’s eyes. It shrieked and thrashed its head, attempting to shake the masked man off. But he held tight, hacking at the same area over and over, laughing maniacally.

Air turned to look over at Cadence and immediately noticed her healing bloody hand. “What did you do?!”

The young acolyte shrunk back, suddenly ashamed of her decision. “I-I just… I just wanted to help…”

“He could get killed!” Air turned back around just in time to see the griffin sharply jerked its head to the side, causing Earth to fall again. It swiped its front talons repeatedly, but continued to miss as the tall Ghoul began to pull Earth away. However, the drummer fought against him.

“No! I can kill it! Let me!” he shouted angrily, still under the effects of Cadence’s blood.

“I’m not letting you get near that thing,” Air replied, calm yet still clearly frustrated with Cadence. “Not until the effects of the blood wear off.”

Earth continued thrashing in Air’s arms like an animal that refused to be tamed. “You can’t control me,” he snarled. “Let me murder that thing!” With a yell, he attempted to throw his axe at the griffin, but missed. The weapon clattered to the ground and faded away due to excessive use as the griffin flew back up into the sky with a flap of its wings.

“Earth, stop.” Air’s voice remained calm yet commanding as he continued to hold the Ghoul back as his fits of rage gradually subsided. After some time, Earth’s eyes ceased glowing and he finally relaxed in Air’s arms.

Cadence watched the griffin as it continued circling. She soon glanced down at the healing cut on her hand, then at Liam who was sitting at her feet. In an instant, another idea struck her, one more reckless than the last one.

“Guys.” She positioned herself so that she was standing under the silhouette of the griffin. “Help me get up there.”

The two Ghouls looked at each other, a mixture of surprise and confusion present behind their masks.

“You sure?” Earth asked, leaning against Air for support as he continued to regain his strength.

“This one’s clearly not coming back down. It saw us defeat the others when they landed, so it’s choosing to stay flying.”

Air stared at Cadence for a brief moment, seemingly contemplating what she was suggesting, before following her gaze. “That’s really high up, Cadence.”

“I know.” Looking down at her feet, the young acolyte picked Liam up and held the munchkin kitten in her arms. “But if Kerstin could do stuff like this, I should be able to.”

Again, her bandmates exchanged worried glances. A couple seconds passed before Earth stepped forward, having recovered quickly thanks to his powers.

“I can boost you up, and Air can supply a gust of wind to keep you moving,” he said. With one hand, he motioned Dahlia towards him, who immediately bounded forward eagerly.

Cadence nodded her head, agreeing with the plan. “And I’ll have Liam help me get close to land the final blow.” She turned her head to meet Air’s eyes, hoping the keyboardist would agree with them as well.

Air glanced at the two of them, further contemplating what they were saying. After a brief moment of silence, he sighed. 

“Be careful.”

Again, Cadence nodded reassuringly, and before she knew it Dahlia had transformed herself into a cloud of black smoke and surrounded both her and Earth in complete blackness. In the blink of an eye, the inky shadows dissipated, and the acolytes soon found themselves standing on the roof of their tour bus. They both cast one last glance at the griffin circling above them before meeting each other’s eyes.

“Alright,” Earth declared, determination present in his tone. “Let’s do this.”

The drummer Ghoul knelt down and held out his hands, providing a Cadence a platform to stand on as he hoisted her up high.

Cadence took a deep breath as she felt Earth hold on to her feet as he returned to a standing position. Her grip on her dagger tightened as she went over the plan again in her head. Pretty soon, she looked down to meet Liam’s blue eyes. “You ready?”

The calico kitten’s tiny ears perked up. “Yep.”  
A smile began to form on Cadence’s lips, and she quickly returned her attention to the griffin circling overhead. She watched its movements carefully, waiting for the right moment to act until…

“Now!”

Earth pushed her up with all his might, sending her into the air. Immediately, she felt a blast of wind under her as Air used his powers to propel her farther up. The griffin seemed to take notice of what was happening, for it screeched loudly and began to descend towards Cadence as she came closer. She saw its sharp talons, but remained undeterred.

“Now, Liam!” she shouted.

Her familiar immediately obeyed her command, cloaking her in black smoke and sending her flying towards her opponent. Quickly, Cadence used her dagger and once again sliced her palm, repeating the summoning phrase to make Sanguineum reappear. The moment the sword materialized in her grasp, she brought the bleeding wound to her lips, consuming her own blood. She instantly felt incredible strength and power course through her, and she gripped the hilt of her sword with an eager tightness. 

The black smoke clouds began to clear away, revealing just how close to the massive beast she was. At the sight of it, the only thought at the front of Cadence’s mind was to destroy it. She readied her weapon. The griffin screeched and raised its claws. Both were ready to strike.

With a fierce yell, she prepared herself, intending on tearing the monster to shreds. She swung with all her might, certain of the victory that was now within reach...

The blade missed its target.

No...no! Rage filled Cadence’s mind, and with another scream she swung again. Another miss. Gritting her teeth, the young acolyte raised her sword to attempt yet another strike.

Big mistake.

She gasped as she felt the griffin’s front talons rip the fabric of her clothes and tear into her skin. A sharp pain immediately sprung up near her side. Her sword fell from her grasp and faded away as she clutched the wound, squeezing her eyes shut from the pain.

Time seemed to momentarily slow down as the realization she was beginning to fall suddenly struck her. The moment the thought entered her head, all murderous desires vanished from her head and her eyes ceased glowing. The only feeling that remained was sheer panic as she realized just what she had gotten herself into.

She was falling. The wind rushed in her ears as she plummeted. Tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t see the griffin anymore. Her eyes shut again from the pain. She couldn’t think straight. Fear clouded her mind. The pain in her side was too much. There was no way she’d be able to survive this fall…!

And then, everything suddenly stopped. She felt a familiar embrace clutch her injured body close. Her screaming immediately ceased.

“It’s alright, Cadence. Sono qui. I’m here.”

The panic within her mind faded away. Trembling, Cadence opened her eyes, and despite her blurry vision she immediately knew who was holding her.

“P-...Papa?” she murmured.

The dark pope held her a little tighter, relieved. Blinking a few times to dispel her tears, it was then that Cadence noticed Emeritus was standing on top of a white pentagram he had managed to summon in midair.

“It’s going to be okay. We’re all here now.” Gently, he wiped away a tear that had been trickling down her cheek before placed a gloved hand on the back of her head, weaving his fingers into her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing slowly to calm her palpitating heart. Closing her eyes, she accepted the gentle kiss he placed on her lips, feeling the two of them slowly return to the ground.

Her body was still quivering from the pain of her injury when she pulled away. A smile began to curl her lips as she gazed into Emeritus’ mismatched eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could speak she spotted a dark shape out of the corner of her eye. “Papa, look out!”

He turned immediately, still holding her. Raising his left hand with his palm facing towards him, the white pentagram symbol reappeared on the back of his hand. The griffin swooped towards them at an alarming speed, only to collide headfirst into the pentagram shield the dark pope summoned in front of him.

As the monster recoiled, Cadence saw Mist and Air appear overhead. Air’s bow was once again split into two blades, and Mist held a sword in her hands. Both Ghouls landed effortlessly onto the griffin’s back, plunging their weapons into the wing muscles. Its shriek pierced the air as it tried to get away, but not before Earth held it down with his vines. Cadence shut her eyes as explosions of fire and a barrage of sharp icicles bombarded the creature, causing it to writhe more. Mist and Air quickly got off the griffin’s back as Alpha and Water continued their assault, and before long the keyboardist’s weapon turned back into a bow. He stood tall in front of the griffin and drew an arrow.

“Air, are you able to draw another lightning arrow?” Emeritus asked.

The Ghoul shook his head. “The last one used up nearly all I had.”

At his response, the dark pope said nothing. Narrowing his eyes, he raised his left hand towards Air, concentrating. The pentagram began glowing on the back of his hand again, but a moment later it suddenly turned from white to bright red. Cadence watched as a larger version of the red pentagram began to glow underneath where Air was standing.

The tall Ghoul shut his eyes in concentration, not minding the struggling sounds of the griffin before him. Before long, the arrow he’d drawn began to glow, but this time it was red like the pentagram.

He took a deep breath, and after a few seconds finally released the arrow. It shot forward and exploded in a large blast of red magic accompanied by red rose petals. As the flowers fell and the magic faded away, everyone watched as the griffin’s massive body finally dissolved into dust.

Emeritus lowered his hand, causing both the pentagram he’d summoned and the one on his hand to fade away. He soon met the eyes of all who were present. “Everyone okay?” he asked.

The Ghouls all responded positively, which relieved him. After a moment, he looked down at Cadence, who was still in his arms. Her face still clearly hinted at the pain she felt, and he glanced remorsefully at the wound she’d received, her blood staining his other glove deep red.

“Papa…” The young acolyte tilted her head up to look at him as she tried to speak. “I-” She winced from her injury, gritting her teeth tightly.

“Shh, it’s okay. You fought well.” Carefully, Papa moved his left hand so that it hovered over the gash on Cadence’s side. The pentagram reappeared again, only to turn from white to light green. Immediately, Cadence felt some energy begin to flow back into her body. “Rest, cara. You need it.”

The calmness of Emeritus’ tone allowed Cadence to relax. Slowly, she closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder.

Without saying another word, he carried her back onto the bus, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.


	8. The Time it Takes to Heal

Rain pattered softly outside, tapping against the window pane. The room was silent, but there was a sense of worry in the air as the night dragged on. Papa was pacing back and forth, his head tilted towards the floor as he thought in silence.

“We were lucky we’d noticed the blast from Air’s lightning arrow,” the dark pope said to himself. “Otherwise…”

He turned, his brow furrowing as he glanced over at the bed behind him. Cadence was lying down, eyes shut as she continued to press a cloth to the wound on her side. It still hadn’t completely healed yet. Her face, which was once again devoid of her signature masquerade mask, still hinted at the pain she was feeling as she tried taking steady breaths.

Emeritus soon walked over and knelt beside the bed. A moment passed before the young acolyte slowly opened her eyes, turning her head to meet his gaze.  
He did not want to see her like this. Gently, he took one of her hands in his. His bangs fell over his eyes as he pressed his lips to it. After a few seconds, he looked up at her again and squeezed her hand.

“...Still hurts?” he asked, voice hushed.

Wordlessly, Cadence nodded her head in response before she suddenly winced again, her grip on her lover’s hand momentarily tightening.

“It’s not…” Her body tensed for a couple seconds before relaxing again. “It’s not healing right.”

Silence fell again as Papa glanced at where Cadence was covering her wound, simultaneously rubbing the back of the hand he was still holding with his thumb in an attempt to provide even a little comfort. After a moment, he released his grasp on her and moved to the other side of the bed, lying down next to her on his side. He then reached out and hovered his hand over the injured area, causing the pentagram to appear again.

Cadence quickly realized what he was doing. “N-no, Papa don’t-” She tried to move away a little as the symbol turned light green. “Don’t waste your energy.”

“I want you to heal,” he said. The dark pope shut his eyes in concentration as his magic begin to mend Cadence’s wound like before. It wouldn’t be enough to heal it completely, but it would at least speed up the process a little.

He couldn’t do it for very long, however. The dark pope’s excessive use of his powers during the battle earlier that evening had taken a toll on his strength. Unable to keep going, he quickly lowered his hand, groaning a little in exhaustion, and laid down next to Cadence, resting his hand on her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath.

Cadence cast a concerned glance in Papa’s direction. He flashed a smile at her as her lavender irises gazed upon him. “I’m okay, Ghuleh.”

The young acolyte wanted to smile back, but couldn’t bring herself to. With a sigh, she looked down at the wound she was covering and moved the cloth slightly to look at it. The gash had healed a little bit more by now, but still not completely. “Why is it taking so long?” she asked quietly. “It usually heals much faster…”

Emeritus sat up a little as he too glanced down at the wound, keeping his hand on Cadence’s shoulder for comfort. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke, but seemed to struggle to find the words he wanted.

“Your powers... well, your self-healing ability specifically…” His fingers interlocked with hers as he took her hand again. “It’s affected by your emotions. If you’re overwhelmingly frightened, angry, or sad, your body won’t heal as fast.” He sighed, lowering his head slightly. “I was hoping that problem would go away after your life as Kerstin ended, but…” Again, the dark pope glanced at Cadence’s wound, then looked to her face. She did not meet his gaze, and as he stared at her he could tell that there was still a lot weighing on her mind, just like this morning.

Gently, he reached out with his free hand and tucked a few strands of Cadence’s hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her temple. He immediately felt a heaviness in his chest, as if there was a large weight pressing down on him. It was the same sensation he had felt when he’d sensed Cadence’s negative emotions that morning.

“Cadence.” Emeritus spoke softly to her. “You’ve been like this all day. It worries me, and if we want this wound to heal then we need to dispel these thoughts in your head.” He soon held her empty hand in both of his. “Please, tell me what’s been bothering you. Let me help.”

His words seemed to have an effect on her, as it wasn’t long before Cadence lowered her head, blinking rapidly. When she opened her mouth to speak, the breath she took was shaky.

“I…” She paused, her choked up voice hinting at the overwhelming emotions that were rapidly building up again inside her. “I’m just so frustrated…”

At her words, Papa’s brow furrowed again. He carefully wrapped an arm around her. “Frustrated? With what?” he asked.

Again, she didn’t answer immediately, instead choosing to keep her head down. Minutes seemed to tick by as she struggled to find the words to say. Still, the look on Emeritus’ painted face indicated he didn’t seem to mind.

“Take your time, Ghuleh. I’m not going anywhere.”  
The rain continued pattering outside as silence fell between the two of them again. Before long, it began pouring down a little heavier. It looked like a storm would be on its way soon.

“It’s...you.” Finally uttering the first words of her response, Cadence suddenly couldn’t hold it in any longer. The rest of her words came rushing out as she finally let her emotions show. “A-and the Ghouls, and especially the fans.” Another pause, and she pressed her lips tightly together as she continued trying to prevent her tears from showing. However, her voice betrayed her. “Y-you guys seem to get all the praise, and all I get are dirty looks from people in the front rows. For days I’ve asked myself what the hell I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried to change things! But no matter what I try to do, it’s always the same.” A tear finally rolled down her cheek. “I just… A part of me feels like I don’t belong here.” She dared to meet Emeritus’ eyes again, but seeing his face only caused her to begin sobbing. 

“You… you’re one of the few people who actually make me feel loved. But then when I see you with other fans I just-” She momentarily stopped herself, lowering her head again as her lips kept trembling. Her grip on his gloved hand tightened. “I just feel so awful about myself! And if you’re with another girl I can’t help but compare my body to theirs. I feel so ugly and-” Leaving Papa’s grasp, she covered her teary eyes, ashamed of herself. “What’s wrong with me?” she asked, hushing her voice.

Immediately, Emeritus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. 

“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with you.” His tone was insistent as he held Cadence, resting his forehead against her. “Sei più forte di quanto pensi. You are not what the voices in your head say you are. I know this because the girl I see before me is the most wonderful person I know. She’s beautiful, she’s strong-”

Cadence sobbed again, shaking her head. “I’m not!”

“Then please, let me help you believe you are.”

Those words caused the young acolyte to think back as Papa began wiping the tears from her face. He used to say something very similar to her back before she had joined the clergy. She leaned her head against the headboard of the bed. “Lucifer below, I’ve turned back into the crybaby I was when you first met me in this life…”

Papa only continued caressing her face as her eyes slowly met his. His gaze remained soft and loving despite everything she had said.

“I never had a problem with how you were then, and I certainly don’t now.” He reached down, taking her empty hand and gently placing it on his chest. “No matter what happens, no matter what you do or how you feel, my heart belongs to you, Cadence. Nothing will change that.” 

A smile returned to his face as Cadence’s sobs began to cease. He tucked a few strands of her brunette hair behind her ear, and after a moment he placed a kiss on her forehead. “There. Now, did getting all that off your chest help you feel any better?”

The young acolyte sniffled as she sat up and wiped her face with her sleeve. “A little.”

Emeritus held her again, closing his eyes. “That's alright. I know it takes more than words to make scars like these heal. It can be frustrating when it seems like nothing changes, but healing of all kinds takes time.” Pressing his forehead to hers, his mismatched eyes met her lavender gaze. “But I thank you for telling me all this, Cadence. From now on I'll do everything in my power to help you. The only thing I ask is that the next time you feel this upset, you won’t hide your feelings from me, alright?”

His words continued to bring Cadence comfort. Slowly, a smile began to form on her lips as she nodded her head in response. “...Okay.” She wrapped her arms around the dark pope, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”

Emeritus gave a light chuckle. “There’s that smile,” he said, cupping the side of her face. He gently rubbed her back as he placed a kiss on her lips, savoring the moment before finally returning his attention to Cadence’s healing injury. “Want me to bandage that up again for you?”

The young acolyte nodded, thankful for the man who always cared for her. “I think... that would be a good idea.”

 

***

Thunder rumbled outside as the storm continued, but it failed to rouse Cadence from her sleep. Emeritus watched as she lay peacefully under the covers, a smile still present on her face.

With one hand, he gently brushed his fingers against her temple again. This time the heavy sensation he’d felt earlier was nearly gone, meaning that Cadence was in fact feeling better for now. It brought him a sense of relief. Hopefully this happiness would stay with her when she woke up the next morning…

Carefully, he got up, making his way over to his things near the window. He took his time changing out of the rest of his costume into much more casual night attire. After ensuring his suit was folded neatly and put back in its place, he took a moment to just gaze out the window, eventually growing lost in thought while watching the rain.

He recalled everything he had told Cadence earlier about how healing took time. His smile vanished as he took notice of his own reflection staring back, then looked down at the silver ring he still wore on his left hand. The memories of his previous lives did not haunt him as much as they used to, but every now and then he would find himself thinking back. His wife had loved the rain, even when it was a downpour.

He could almost see her standing out there on the balcony before him, her arms outstretched as she tilted her head to gaze up at the heavens.

“Emeritus, join me! It’s lovely!”

Her laugh was like a song even with her auburn hair and emerald dress soaked and sticking to her porcelain skin. She spun in a circle as if she didn’t have a care in the world. As if she had nothing to fear.

And soon, another laugh joined her’s, one much younger and more childlike. He watched his son run up to her, witnessing the joy that spread across his wife’s face as she picked the baby up and held him. They then both turned to look at him, and it was then that he felt an immense ache in his chest. His wife, beautiful as a rose, who had been a beacon of hope for him during the beginning of his rule. And his child, who resembled him so and brought about immense joy with only a smile. Their identical viridescent gazes were fixed upon him, filled with the happiness and love he had once seen in them so often before they both-

“Fanculo-!” His hands flew to his face as tears began to fall, bringing a sharp, stinging pain with them as they trickled down his cheeks. The dark pope dropped to his knees, desperately wanting to scream from the burning sensation. But he only gritted his teeth and did his best to bear it, his body trembling as he struggled for air.

“L-Lucifer…!” he stuttered, his raspy voice making it difficult to get the name out.

There was a flash of lightning, and for a moment he thought he spotted a tall, female figure standing outside amidst the downpour. But as soon as it appeared, it vanished in the blink of an eye. The only response which he got was the echo of a woman’s voice inside his head as another rumble of thunder subsided.

“This burden is yours alone to bear, my son,” they said. “The pain is merely a reminder of that. You've known this for centuries.”

He opened his eyes a little as the voice faded. He felt saddened, distressed, and angry. The devil's tone seemed to mock him as their words repeated themselves. His body trembled as he rose to his feet, momentarily ignoring the agony he was experiencing to cast a glance in Cadence's direction. She still hadn't woken. Wordlessly, Emeritus covered his face with his hand as he started to walk, shutting the door behind him as he entered the adjoining bathroom. 

The light hummed softly as he stared back at his reflection in the mirror. The tears had ceased by now, yet the skeletal face paint he wore remained unsmudged.

He looked down at the assortment of his and Cadence's belongings which were neatly scattered across the table. Before long, his eyes fell upon the small bag which contained everything he needed for applying his face paint, plus one other item.

Taking a fresh towel from the nearby rack, he turned on the faucet and allowed some water to soak it. When he ensured it was enough, he reached into the nearby bag and produced a small vial. Carefully, he poured a bit of the faint blue liquid onto the wet towel, then closed his eyes and pressed the towel to his face with both hands. 

Seconds passed before he lowered it. The dark pope once again stared at his reflection. The makeup was gone now, revealing the face hidden underneath. Hardly anyone got to ever see him like this.

Disgusted by what he saw staring back at him, he shut his eyes, elbows resting against the sink as he hid his face in his hands.


End file.
